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BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Huge Potential...Mediocre Delivery
This film tackles a subject that is full of opportunities. Most are squandered. In part the dialogue is often weak...even silly at times. Too many lackluster performances. Some actors delivering their lines too flat while others went over-the-top. . Poor directing...maybe, because these actors have done much better in other projects. Ashlie Atkinson (as Connie) extremely convincing at times as the under-appreciated wife of Felix (Jasper Paakkonen), plays excessively loud and large (read silly and unconvincing) in the screening scene of Birth Of A Nation. She's not alone. That direction turned what should have been a depiction of deeply disturbing evil, into a scene of cartoonish villains. In my opinion, Adam Driver, Ryan Eggold and Jasper Paakkonen did the heavy lifting on this film. The story is worth watching, but the film is just so-so. 5/10 Stars
Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: Jolene (2019)
Like an "R" rated Hallmark .But has It's Moments...and Julianne Hough!
Julianne Hough has never looked more sultry and appealing. Dolly, a person I have always liked, whatever she has done, is not as comfortable and smooth in this role as she was in her younger days. Not bad, just a bit awkward in her presentation.
Now here is something that struck me and if you watch, maybe you will see it too. In fact I thought this was going to be part of the "problem" he was having in his marriage. Emily's husband Aaron (Dallas Roberts) plays the role slightly effeminately. I expected Aaron was going to "come out" and that was the issue. I was wrong...so I guess it's just Roberts acting style.
Anyway, enjoy the soap-opera/Hallmark style production. I stayed to the end mainly to watch Hough...oh my!
Hampstead (2017)
Pleasant But Misses the Mark.
I like most, find both Keaton and Gleeson well worth watching in any of their projects...BUT this very simple story could have been so much more. We want to know these two and yet very little is shared. The script only scratches the surface of their characters. Then the jump from their relationship as just met, strangers to bed buddies is so abrupt it caused laughter in the audience. Overall disappointing given the talented cast.
Wish Man (2019)
Based on a True Story But Weak Writing Spoiled It For Me
The underlying true story is worth telling, but I could not accept some of the lame dialogue and obvious holes in the screenplay. First the positives: Young Frank 's tragic upbringing is well presented in a series of flashbacks. Really enjoyed seeing familiar actors who, a generation ago, played on various TV cop shows like ChiPs.
The major weak writing shows up when the other officers attempt to shift the blame for police brutality onto innocent Frank. The way this is presented in the film, you have to believe the Arizona State Police have the most incompetent internal investigative unit ever documented. Apparently they never interview the victims using photo identification. Would that not be the first thing to do? Properly ID all the players in this crime? A move that would have stopped the bad cop and his buddy in their efforts instantly. Only Frank's just out of law school lawyer is able to unravel the scheme by asking the obvious questions and having the victim ID a couple of photos.
Another area of weakness in the screenplay is with the medical accuracy. Frank's return to full consciousness and unimpaired clear thinking immediately upon resuscitation, after being "dead" for some minutes at the scene of the traffic accident would be extremely unlikely, even miraculous if true. That might have sold to audiences 40 years ago, but we know much more about head injury today.
Then there is the health of the boy Frank is trying to help. The director has the child actor play the role as if he is the most healthy kid in the world...until he is in a coma. There are no scenes of a child weakened by cancer therapy, a child with diminished strength due to his condition until he is on death's door. No transitional scenes from stable to deteriorated health are offered. Again, not in accordance with how this story would play out under anything close to realistic conditions. So is this a movie to watch? Sure, mostly for the base story of a guy who helped make a difference in a positive way. But as a piece of cinematic art...look elsewhere.
An Interview with God (2018)
Colossal Waste of an Opportunity... Waste of Time for Intelligent Christians
If you think you will get ANY satisfying answers, you are sadly mistaken. In this attempt to portray the Christian view, the writers failed on every level. God and the interviewer Paul cannot connect verbally. The chopped dialogue is irritating. Their goals are incompatible and we suffer through the process. Attempts at humour (..at one moment, God does a pathetic impression of a Jewish rabbi to try to make a point.. ) miss the mark EVERY time. The whole film is aimed at sub-intellectual minds with no capacity for critical thinking. If you have any curiosity to know more about the mysteries of Christianity, you will feel cheated and even insulted.
It's not as if some great questions are not mentioned...they are, but in EVERY case, the answer is sidestepped with vague terminology or a non-sequitur. Incredibly, the interviewer never references ANY of the widely disputed basic biblical discrepancies such as how God made light on the 1st day, but God didn't make the sun until the 4th day (Genesis). Might have been interesting to hear the creative explanation from the creator himself. But no. So what does God want to talk about?
Not much actually. Apparently God's main mission in this set of interviews is to counsel Paul the interviewer, with cryptic responses to any deeper questions. Could this merely be a version of Psalm 32:8 put on film? Nah, don't think so.
It's just a light weight film with no redeeming qualities. Avoid.
Timeless (2016)
Strong Production Values, Worthy Effort, Fun to Watch.
Yes the theme of going back in time to famous historical events has been done multiple times before. Back to the Future is an easy example but I can recall Star Trek and even early TV's Rod Serling's Twilight Zone did a few episodes using that in the plot. Timeless has generally rich production values and occasional smart quips that put this series on the radar for me. At times we get a glimpse on the "story behind the story" providing a less than flattering truth about a revered historical figure. You'll meet frontier legends, famous politicians, Nazis, the list goes on. No this isn't a documentary so don't expect complete accuracy, but it's a fun watch and most of the main characters are believable in their roles.
Despite their efforts, our heroes do change bits of history and each time they return, we find ourselves in an slightly altered reality. I am entertained by the unexpected consequences of these time travelers' interventions.
One criticism I will offer. If I was directing, I'd tone down the overly dramatic music that's often ramped up at the end of many scenes.
This series is available on Netflix. Great way to kill an evening, 43 minutes* at a time. *No commercials.